Comparative Shielding Measurements of Flexible Electromagnetic Shields

Abstract

Shielding of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) requires new solutions due to the strong development of mobile and wireless communication. Flexible, textile-based EM shields were made possible with the development of spinning technology for manufacturing of fibers and yarns with metallic content and advanced coating technologies of metallic layers (spraying, magnetron plasma, dip-coating). They are used nowadays in numerous applications, both for ensuring EMI shielding of electronic equipment and for preserving human’s health. Our study describes EM shields manufactured of woven fabrics with inserted metallic yarns and metallic plasma coating. The study focuses on the comparative analysis of the Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness (EMSE) measurements, based on three standardized methods available in different laboratories across Europe (at UPB2, ICPE-CA3, TecnoLab4). The measurements, that were conducted in the frequency range of 0.1-1000 MHz, indicated 55 dB EMSE at 10 MHz. The comparative analysis shows similar values for the three methods, proving the accuracy of the results.